Hi Audrey! So excited to meet you. Could you start off by giving us a little intro on yourself?
I'm Audrey Pe, a 19-year-old incoming freshman at Stanford University. I'm also the founder and executive director of WiTech--a nonprofit organization based in the Philippines that aims to educate, inspire, and empower youth to break gender barriers and use tech to make a difference in society. My prospective major is Science, Technology, and Society. When I'm not on team/partnership calls or answering emails, I can be found working out, reading (currently doing the 100 books a year challenge), or watching shows with my family.
When did you first get introduced to tech?
In the Philippines, we have a national computer class that isn't focused on programming, but instead on skills like how to use platforms like Microsoft Office. One day, my teacher decided to go off curriculum and introduced us to a basic coding game. From there, I wanted to learn more but found out we wouldn't be learning about programming because it wasn't part of the national Philippine curriculum. This resulted in me going online to look up basic CS tutorials building a DIY tech education.
Tell us about WiTech and your work with tech and feminism! Where did you get the idea, how did it start, and what is your mission?
WiTech was born out of my personal experiences in feeling a lack of support in entering the tech industry. After a teacher told me that I wasn't a good fit for tech, I sought out my own tech role models and launched the WiTech blog in 2016. This blog highlighted the different stories of women in tech from around the world that I had cold messaged via platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram. Since then, we've transitioned into a nonprofit organization that hosted the first women in tech conference for and by students in the Philippines. Our women in tech teach program has also taught 100+ low-income students how to code for the first time.
Overall, our mission is to build a future where all youth--regardless of their gender or socioeconomic status--have access to tech and the potential to use it for social good.
What advice do you have for girls afraid to pursue tech?
My advice for girls that are afraid to pursue tech would be to remember that when you pursue these conventionally male-dominated fields, you're helping promote this mindset that you can do anything--regardless of what gender norms of society say. By going into fields like tech, young girls are helping push the needle forward for future generations, in the hope that male-dominated fields will no longer be that way in the coming years.
What were your biggest hurdles in pursuing STEAM/tech?
In tech, I've faced a lot of sexism and ageism. Microaggressions like 'you don't look like you're in tech' or 'shouldn't you be in school right now?' are some comments that I've had thrown at me at the beginning of my tech journey. It's intimidating to enter a field in which you don't feel welcome and see such a lack of representation. To combat that feeling of loneliness in tech, I started WiTech and am so glad to have such a diverse and welcoming community now in 2020.
What are you working on now and your goals for the future?
Currently, WiTech has partnered with Unang Hakbang Foundation to provide laptops and tablets to low-income students here in the Philippines to embark in online learning. Even at university, I plan on continuing my work in advocating for gender equality and tech accessibility.
Now more than ever, we're seeing how tech should be a right -- not just a privilege.
Online learning is only possible with tech access that is unfortunately unavailable to 40% of the Philippine population. My focus in the next coming months will be towards opening WiTech chapters (we currently have 9) around the world and bringing more resources to marginalized communities that need tech access for students' education.
How can people find out more about you?
You can connect with me on Linked or Instagram/Twitter (@audreyisabelpe). WiTech's website is wi-tech.org and our social media handle is @witechorg.
Thank you so much to Audrey for letting us spotlight her and her amazing work! She truly is changing the landscape of tech and we're excited to see her continue being a STEAMChanger!
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